BLOG 251—CHALLENGING YOURSELF! 

“KITTING AROUND”

BLOG 251—CHALLENGING YOURSELF! 

With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I WANT TO INSPIRE YOU TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY OR BETTER!   

*** The joy I am experiencing in life is a marvelous thing!
*** Hit by two trucks—one involving a 37-day coma—I remain happy.
*** If you are reading this through Facebook, check out my blog on   kitsummers.com
*** After living in my van and traveling to all US states, I married Beth on 2/22/22.
*** Thanks, my wife, for editing and adding to each weekly blog.
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

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TOPIC FOR THIS WEEK —DO YOU CHALLENGE YOURSELF ENOUGH?
 
The concept of challenge came to me initially through juggling. In juggling, there is always another trick to work on and a more significant number of props to send up. So, this provided various challenges for me. I eventually threw 7 clubs up and kept them up. This was a world record at the time.
   
Riding my unicycle was another challenge for me. Learning at age 13, I became a master of the single wheel. In high school metal shop class, I built several unicycles–one was 14’ tall! This unicycle was quite a challenge to ride. I even performed on it for a few shows. YES, I met that challenge.
 
While riding my 7’ unicycle and performing in Balboa Park, San Diego, there was a set of steps I would ride by–my challenge–of course. I eventually rode down these steps in the show. Also, with a regular unicycle, I would jump rope on it in the performance.

One challenge I found as I was recovering and learning to walk again was this >> a person was helping me learn to walk again, and we were outside. I saw a small bush to the side and saw my challenge. I stepped to the side and jumped over this bush. I knew I could do it, but the therapist did not like that I did that.

Picking a topic for my blog to send to you each week is much of a challenge.
Yet, somehow, I get it done each week.
 
Change, along with challenges, happens all around us every day.  You can look at it in two ways: embrace the challenge of change and ensure you’re ahead of the curve. Or you can react to change after it has happened.  Some people thrive under stress, and others struggle to cope.
 
One way to ensure you are resilient enough to cope with the stress of change is to get used to changes. Challenges change your world because it changes your thinking. So practice embracing your challenges (and change), and you’ll earn the bonus of learning how to deal with stress.
 
For example, do you dream of traveling? Think of how you’re going to manage it. I did this challenge and was able to travel the world. Challenge yourself to make the changes needed so that you can travel.  Break it down into steps.  Can you save the amount you need to buy the ticket?  How will you do it?
 
Stimulating your brain with new ideas and doing things out of your comfort zone is good for you.  It makes you grow more brain cells. Finding challenges can add much to your life. In the short term, it makes life more fun as you work through your challenges.  In the longer term, you achieve your goals.
 
Doing a challenge gives you a reason to get up in the morning.  Did you know that people with a purpose in life live longer than those who don’t know what to do with themselves?   Trying out a few challenges can help you choose a purpose. And, as you work towards your current challenge, you also work on your internal beliefs about the world.  

If you already have a trail of achievements behind you, your view of the world is far more likely to be positive. Having a dream or a goal is implicit in accepting a challenge.  A challenge is just a tiny step toward achieving something larger.  A way to take from where you are now to what you want to be.
 
So, think about your life goals and what you want to achieve.
What’s your dream?
Before too long, you’ve changed yourself, achieved your goals, and become the person you want to be.
 
When you challenge and achieve your goals, your confidence soars. You master new habits more efficiently and stress out far less. You feel more secure with yourself, knowing you can change and adapt to the changes around you.
 
If you’re not getting there,
Don’t blame fate.
Don’t blame luck.
Don’t even try to blame it on the others.
You are the boss of your life.
Set up challenges and get going!
   
Choose your challenge for today, every day.
Take action and do it today, tomorrow, and each day.
Feel great that you’ve done one challenge.
Do another one. 
Set the pattern for a lifetime!
Watch the benefits that grow from your habit of facing challenges. 
 
Like me, I hope challenges have brought you a life of fun and adventure that you want. You must challenge yourself because there is no stopping until you become aware that you are in control.
           
Here are some ideas for helping to challenge yourself >>
       
1. Build Your Confidence
When you inspire yourself with quotes and affirmations, like in my blogs. Taking action will give you the lift you need. When you overcome a difficult challenge, you will show that you are better than you give yourself credit for.
     
You’ll be amazed at how your confidence grows when you work on yourself by pushing the limitations you put on yourself. There is so much more in life than you think. For example, if you feel that you are not good at writing but want to be a good writer or wish you were–write! The best thing you can do is challenge yourself to write something every day.
 
How about starting a blog you send to people weekly, as I do? This might be a fantastic way to start on the path of challenging yourself. You can start by sharing your own experience and story.
   
You will become more comfortable and confident as you discover and achieve your goals. This is just one reason why you must challenge yourself.
       
2. Grow into Your Personality
We all have different life situations that change us. Some of these challenges make us better, while others make us bitter. The choices we make every day define us and make us who we become. That is why challenging yourself is so important. How will you get to the core of your qualities if you don’t exploit all the possibilities?
 
When you push yourself to make decisions that don’t make you comfortable, you’ll give yourself new goals, different perspectives, and new habits and ultimately become the person you want to be.
 
3. Know that You Did Your Absolute Best
Living a life full of regrets can tear you down. Life is often either the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. You don’t want to look back and think, “If I had pushed myself just a little harder, who knows where I could have ended up?”
 
It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it! 

(WHAT NEW STORIES ARE YOU READY TO WRITE? 

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WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
 
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have a unique ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.
 
They are so interesting, challenging, and essential on our path to joy, happiness, and finding ways to inspire ourselves and others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas give us a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I HOPE TO INSPIRE YOU WITH MY WORDS
WORDS HAVE POWER! 

Are you accomplishing what you want before your eventual death?
At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.
 
How you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible, determines everything in your life, and it all derives from your quality of thinking.

WHEN YOU IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR THINKING,
YOU CHANGE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE—SOMETIMES INSTANTLY!

Just as positive words can make someone smile, and a well-timed amusing quote can make someone laugh, your thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!
 
You have complete control over only one thing in the universe — Your Thinking —and that’s where motivational quotes come in!
 
To keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve and get closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so essential—THINK RIGHT!   

Motivational words, yes, they are just words.
But they are positive words; they will keep you on track.

EVEN IF YOU START LATE, ARE UNCERTAIN,
OR ARE DIFFERENT –
YOU CAN STILL FIND SUCCESS!

Don’t forget that you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind!
Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive, and always reach for more advancement.
REMEMBER–VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.

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GET INSPIRED!
READ OPTIMISTIC QUOTES 

Positive and inspiring quotes are like beams of sunshine on a cloudy day. They inject optimism into our thoughts, brighten our mood,  and help us focus on the good in life.
 
They remind us that even in the face of adversity, we can see the silver lining and embrace a positive attitude.
 
In a world filled with challenges and indecisiveness, the power of inspirational quotes cannot be exaggerated.
 
These pearls of wisdom uniquely uplift our spirits, can spark positive change, and fuel our motivation often when we need it most.
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I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HELP >>
 
1. “Don’t limit your challenges; challenge your limits.
Each day, we must strive for constant and never-ending improvement.”
— Tony Robbins
 
2. “Without challenges, we really go nowhere in life.”
—  Kit Summers
   
3. “Keep challenging yourself to think better, do better, and be better.”
— Robin S. Sharma
 
4. “Every change is a challenge to become who we really are.”
— Marianne Williamson
 
5. “The key to success is for you to set one big, challenging goal and then to pay any price, overcome any obstacle, and persist through any difficulty until you finally achieve it.”
— Brian Tracy
 
6. “I challenge you. Be obsessed with improvement!”
— Eric Thomas
 
7. “It’s always darkest before the dawn. The bigger your challenge, the closer you are to your victory.”
— Joel Osteen
   
8. “In a growth mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking, oh, I’m going to reveal my weaknesses, you say, wow, here’s a chance to grow.”
— Carol S. Dweck
   
9. “I want to challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside. God has put gifts and talents in you that you probably don’t know anything about.”
— Joel Osteen
 
10. “Challenge everything, assume nothing.”
— Sergio Zyman
   
11. “The challenges we face in life are always lessons that serve our soul’s growth.”
— Marianne Williamson
 
12. “There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” – Derek Jeter 

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

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MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
Each week goes by so quickly, don’t you think?
Time is going faster all the time, it seems.
Do you keep track of what you do each day?
Keep track for a few weeks; you will see your time differently.
   
12/16–I got a big wood pile from Ken Young. As I wrote, Ken gets tree trunks, cuts them down to 2x4s and such, and then sells them. I get wood leftovers, which is great for the fire. Also, from this, I use the outside cuttings to make coffee tables. 
 
The wood I get is about eight feet long each. Our neighbor, Terry, helped me cut a bunch to fit into the fireplace. I gave much wood to Terry, too, for his fire.
 
12/17–Having wood to fit into the fireplace, I keep us warm through the day by keeping the fire going.
   
Beth made more cookies, which is always a good thing. A gloomy day–cold outside–so we remained inside.
 
My ribs have been hurting much, all day. I’ve broken ribs before, and it does hurt much. Somehow, this pain is different. I will be getting X-rays done, and I am curious about what is happening in my body.
 
12/18–A doctor day. The pain in my left rib area is still extreme. I went to see my doctor, who took X-rays. The doctor could find nothing broken, or that stood out. The x-ray was sent to another place to examine it, but they found nothing, either. The pain is much, I must say.
 
I went to the dentist in the afternoon, and he saw that a route canal I had done in the past still needed to be wholly performed. That tooth must be taken care of, too. When I was young, I did take good care of my choppers, which is showing not.
 
NO power. The electricity went off this evening. Looks like a transformer went out and caught fire. Other houses in the area also lost power. Beth was quite bothered; I knew there was nothing we could do and went to sleep in bed. By morning, everything was back to normal.
 
12/19–Beth and I transported three rabbits, about 30 miles each way. We left them off at Smith’s Farm Supply in Lincolnton, GA. We will get ten bucks for each rabbit. But, more importantly, the families and the kids who receive them will be so happy!
   
12/20–Off to Greenwood, SC (our nearest big city), where I got Beth another present for the upcoming holiday.
 
12/21–We went to the library today, where Beth and I have friends who work there. Basically, I worked on various projects around the house. I will have to “make” things happen to write about such.
 
My rib continues to hurt a lot. I don’t know what I could have done when I fell, but I hope it will heal. I’m not one to “accidentally” fall, and I’ve not done much falling in the past.
   
12/22–It’s like an alarm clock in my head goes each day at about 3am. I awake and up for the day I am.
 
Beth put together some gift baskets for friends, cookies, candy, etc. We had a nice time of it, taking this out for people in the area.
 
We just got back from, yikes, being stuck in a ditch. I was going to back into a driveway, timed it wrong, and went into a ditch. A guy who lives near there and works for a towing company went and got his truck and was able to pull us out. $58 bucks later, we were home free.

While there, I did teach the kids to juggle.

MAKE A FABULOUS WEEK FOR YOURSELF THIS WEEK!

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YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>
This challenge was presented a long time ago. Have you faced this?
If you have gone through a brain injury, do this challenge.
HERE IT IS — Get to a carpeted floor or mat. Go down to your knees, then sit and lay down. Now, get back up using your hands and arms.
Next, lay down and get up, not using your hands or arms.
Now, figure out a way to get up that is different than you did before. 

THIS IS YOUR LIFE — MAKE YOUR LEGACY HAPPEN!
DO SOMETHING NEW–DAILY,
THEN, KEEP DOING IT FOR THE REST OF  YOUR LIFE.  

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NEXT BLOG >>
There is a special day coming up on the 25th.
You will learn about our Christmas time,
and I hope to hear about yours. 

AND WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING FOR YOUR UPCOMING WEEK?

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